Goshen Commotion: Paul Rudolph’s Government Center May Not be Saved After All

Paul Rudolph’s Orange County Government Center, as seen last MayPhoto by Lee Rosenbaum

It’s not over until the construction contract is signed.

Although the county legislature voted last week in favor of renovating, rather than knocking down, the flood-damaged Orange County Government Center, politicians on both sides of the controversy (the pro-renovation Democrats and the pro-demolition Republicans) now indicate that the rescue of architect Paul Rudolph‘s Goshen, NY, masterwork is not a done deal.

Two people runnning for county executive this year contend that last week’s bond authorization was hardly definitive, leaving the door open to reconsideration of [current County Executive Ed] Diana‘s most recent proposal—replacing two-thirds of the complex and keeping the court section intact—or some version of it.

“I still think that a final decision hasn’t been made yet,” said Chester Supervisor Steve Neuhaus [a Republican]….

Neuhaus predicted that further study will show that renovations would cost more than new construction…and that “it’ll end up being a mixture of both” approaches.

County Legislator Roxanne Donnery, a Democrat…, also doubts the finality of last week’s vote….She questions the sincerity of Republicans who formerly supported new construction but sided with Democrats in support of renovations.

In my above-linked previous post on this continuing saga, I cited the vote to rescue the building as evidence that “sometimes miracles (and bipartisan cooperation) do happen…”

CultureGrrl

I’m a veteran cultural journalist and lecturer with many pieces in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times and major art magazines. I've been a cultural contributor on New York Public Radio (WNYC and WQXR) and provided arts commentary on NPR [Read More …]